Chocolate Chunk Potato Chip Cookie Bars

Let’s talk about name-brand groceries for a moment. Do you buy them? Do you buy store brand? Do you really pay much attention?

I have always been one to consider the store brand when making purchases, with most things, that is. They usually do not fail me and they almost always save a few bucks!

However, there are certain things that are no-questions-asked-buy-the-real-thing kind of groceries. For example – in our house, the only mayonnaise we buy is Hellman’s. My husband practically requires Hellman’s. You will never find store-brand ranch dressing, only Hidden Valley takes residence in our fridge. You all know how I feel about sugar – I’m pretty partial to Imperial. And I grew up with nothing other than JIF peanut butter in the pantry. I don’t buy much cereal but when I do, I buy the real stuff. And lastly, potato chips just won’t do unless they are the real deal.

Growing up I always remember these certain “splurges” at the store that my mom allowed. We didn’t get chips very often but when we did, Cape Cod Chips are what we chose, and still do. Cape Cod chips are one of my #1 favorite road trip snacks – give me an iced tea and a bag of Sea Salt and Vinegar chips and I’m good to go!

And since it’s National Potato Chip Day, I thought we should celebrate with a sweet and salty treat – Chocolate Chunk Potato Chip Bars. I’m a fan of sweet-and-salty treats. I’m a huge fan of potato chips in my cookies and if you have never tried it, you should wait NO longer, my friends. It will blow you away!

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix an additional 3-4 minutes until the mixture is creamy, fluffy and no streaks of fat remain. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, no longer than 30 seconds. Add the chocolate chunks and mix a few seconds, and then add the potato chips, mixing only a few seconds. Some of the chips will break - that's ok.

Spread the dough out into the prepared pan and press it into the corners, spreading evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes until baked through. Don't overbake! Cool completely before cutting.

Cassie's Notes:
I decided to add a little milk chocolate at the end. If I would have had butterscotch chips, I would have tossed those in instead but I was out.

If you are a big chocolate fan, you can increase the chocolate. I kept the amount low because I just wanted a little taste, but didn't want it to overpower the taste of the chips.

I strongly suggest you measure the flour and sugars in this recipe in grams. I have made this recipe countless times and it just comes out better when I measure with a food scale. However, if you don't have one, just be careful not to over-pack the flour (use the spoon-and-sweep method for measuring) and pack the brown sugar tightly.

Disclaimer: Cape Cod provided me with a case of their chips to try out. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are 100% my own as always. I just like to share products that I truly love and use in my kitchen!

59 Responses to “Chocolate Chunk Potato Chip Cookie Bars”

Yes yes yes to salty-sweet. (Sometimes I even put pretzel on my PB&J. Try it!)
Great question on the groceries. I’m with you on the cereal (it really does taste different!), Hidden Valley (must), and JIF creamy natural is the name of the PB around here. My other must brand: Nestle chocolate chips (or Ghiradelli if I’m REALLY splurging). Ever since I read “chocolate-flavored liqueur” as an ingredient on the store-brand variety, I’ve steered towards more natural chips.

I will totally buy store brand for most things except pasta and ketchup (ALLLWAYS Heinz) and most of the things I bake with (King Arthur and Ghirardelli chips are just always worth the extra $$). Oh and Oreos!

Those bars look so good even without the chips. Add those and this is sooo drool worthy.

Cassie! I made potato chip chocolate chip cookies over the weekend for a get together with my girlfriends. We are OBSESSED with the sweet and salty! I mean how can you go wrong? Chips… good. Chocolate… GOOD. Cookie Bars? amazing. 😉

I have a family member that works for a “name brand” chip company and they actually make chips and then package them in the “store brand” bags sometimes. You may actually be eating the same chips just at a lower price. 🙂

Love these! I had a list of which store brands are really name brands in disuise (like how Target Assets are really Spanks or how some Loreal is really Lancome) but I can’t find it. Target store brands are really great, but some generics just suck. Food stuff, I tend to go premium, but other stuff I tend to go cheap. And I love that you put potato chips in cookies!

Smile. Like you, I have a few brand name items that are a must. These are such wonderful cookie bars. I can’t wait to try them! Thank you for sharing. As always, a lovely end (or beginning) to my day. Have a blessed weekend!

I only buy Hellman’s Mayo, too! And I’m a Skippy girl! I’m not much for kettle cooked potato chips, but when I do buy them, definitely Cape Cod (I am a MA girl, after all!). And using them in these cookies is the best idea ever!

Thought I would add my 2-cents on brands. In the Mid-Atlantic area Utz Potato Chips are so good. Also, an Aldi just opened near us. Definitely try their peanut butter. My youngest son has autism and some finely tuned taste buds. For the longest time he would only eat either peanut butter and jelly sandwiches of macaroni and cheese and the peanut butter had to be Jif. He then tried the Aldi brand, Peanut Delight, and it has become his new standard of excellence.

My recipe came out edible, but not delectable. I had to cook it for about 32 minutes, but I’d definitely watch the time. After 25 minutes it was just not done on the bottom. But then again, the store only had reduced fat chips. It was better the next day actually. I think next time I will use semi sweet chocolate instead since there is so much sugar already in the recipe. And I may lightly crush most of the chips and prss them into the surface of the dough, reserving 16-32 small chips to press vertically into the top of each bar before going into the oven.